Two honorary degrees will be awarded during Carleton’s fall convocation this year.
The two recipients are Shelagh Rogers and Herman Van Rompuy. In a press release, Carleton’s interim president Alastair Summerlee said that the two recipients “are incredible role models for Carleton graduates.”
According to the Carleton Senate website, the Honorary Degree Committee makes suggestions on recipients to the Senate based on two criteria.
Recipients must display either “a distinguished contribution to the Ottawa community, Canada or the world in the arts and sciences, the professions, the private sector, public service or humanitarian endeavours,” or “a notable association with, and/or service to, Carleton University.”
According to the release, Rogers will be awarded the degree in literature, while Van Rompuy will be awarded a doctorate in Law.
Rogers is a prominent broadcast journalist with a career spanning several decades. In January 2015, she became the chancellor of the University of Victoria, a post she still occupies. She has been the host of CBC Radio’s The Next Chapter—a program devoted to showcasing Canadian writing—since its launch in 2008. In 2011, Rogers was named to the Order of Canada for her effort in promoting Canadian culture, as well as her volunteering contributions towards mental health and adult literacy.
According to her page on the University of Victoria’s website, Rogers has “committed herself to working toward reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.” Carleton’s press release credits her honorary degree to “outstanding contributions to Canadian culture, Indigenous relations and advocacy for support of people struggling with mental health.”
On Nov. 8, Rogers tweeted that she was “honoured and humbled” by the award. In an interview with The Charlatan, Rogers explained that many of her colleagues had graduated from Carleton’s journalism program, and that both of her parents had studied at the university, but neither completed their degrees. She said that receiving the honorary doctorate felt like she was “closing the circle.”
Rogers confirmed that she would be attending Carleton’s fall convocation to receive her degree in person.
“Being with young people is the most optimistic thing I can do with life,” she said.
Van Rompuy served as the 49th prime minister of Belgium until he was unanimously selected by the European Council to become its first full-time president. In 2012, he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the European Union. He is now the president of the European Policy Centre.
According to the press release, Van Rompuy was selected to receive his honorary degree in “recognition of his extraordinary contributions to world peace through the arts of compromise and consensus, his fine scholarship and writing, and his much celebrated work in international economic governance, national and global, political leadership.”
Van Rompuy is scheduled to give a keynote lecture entitled, “The Future of Europe” at Carleton on Nov. 17. The Charlatan attempted to contact Van Rompuy, but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Rogers and Van Rompuy will be awarded their respective degrees at the fall convocation ceremonies on Nov. 18.
Photo by Trevor Swann
